PlayStation Now Screenshots

After a few months in private beta on the PS3, Sony's new PlayStation Now service is finally ready to make its debut on the PS4. Granted, the service will still remain in private beta, but now users will finally be able to evaluate the service's viability on the platform it was designed for.

Sony broke the news on the PlayStation Blog, confirming that on May 20th (tomorrow) PlayStation Now users will be sent a voucher to download the PS4 version of the app. They wouldn't say whether new games would be added to the fold, but chances are the company is simply looking to test their service on the new platform.

Thus far, the PlayStation Now service has remained mostly a mystery to the outside world (i.e. non beta users). We know that it incorporates Gaikai's cloud streaming technology and will make up for the PS4's lack of backwards compatibility with all prior PS titles, and it will function on Vita and select Sony Bravia TVs, but most details are guarded under careful lock and key.

It's true that some beta participants have broken their NDA and shared their first impressions of the service, but even those have been mixed at best. Some say the service works perfectly — streaming titles like The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls — while others claim PlayStation Now struggles even at the recommended 5 Mbps download speed.

Soon, however, the real test will begin — when users get to see how the increased processing power of the PS4 benefits the PlayStation Now service and how it performs in the state most will use it in. In addition to that, Sony reveals that the PS3 version of the private beta test will expand to include more users; so those interested are encouraged to register here.

Unfortunately, we still don't have an official release date for PlayStation Now; only that Sony is targeting a "summer" launch window. Chances are, if the service is only going into private beta on the PS4 tomorrow, we may have at least a month or two to wait, but perhaps there will be an open beta for the service in the mean time. Either way, we'll keep you posted.

Are you in the PlayStation Now private beta? What has your experience with the service been so far?

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Source: PlayStation Blog